A videographer and YouTuber specializing in Japanese culture reveals his action plan to shut down large Japanese restaurant chains like Sushi Shop.
Sushi-Shop, the king of sushi in France and Europe
In France, Sushi-Shop is a behemoth. It is one of the largest brands dedicated to small Japanese dishes. The French company has even managed to establish itself as the European leader in its niche with more than160 stores in twelve countries, 20,000 daily customers and a turnover of 202 million euros in 2017, more than half of which comes from online orders delivered to customers. The restaurant chain has been helped by the rise of Uber Eats and Deliveroo in France, so much so that today, it seems unshakeable.
However, its very high prices and the criticized quality of its products can make people cringe. True aficionados of Sushi, Makis, California or Sashimi, will prefer to turn to other less famous brands and restaurants, but more renowned for the quality of their products. Could the “fast-food” of Sushi then be threatened with extinction?
This YouTuber wants to destroy Sushi-Shop
That's what YouTuber Louis-San hopes anyway. The French videographer who has nearly 400,000 subscribers and specializes in Japanese culture has published a video in which he announces that he wants to wage war on low-end Sushi.More specifically, he reveals that he wants to destroy Sushi-Shop and Planet Sushi. The two Japanese restaurant chains are in the young entrepreneur's sights. “I want to destroy Planet Sushi and Sushi-Shop. I think what they do is not good, and it's expensive.” To thumb his nose at the giants, Louis-San reveals his ultimate project: open a high-end French restaurant chainin collaboration with the Parisian fishmonger Viot, which already offers a restaurant counter made of Japanese specialties.
The objective for the YouTuber is to “give back the taste of raw fish to the French. We will have a small counter, with two formulas, one at lunchtime and one in the evening, a little more expensive”. A more intimate establishment with “the chef and his assistant, that's all”. Louis-San even reveals that he has “meetings this week” to set in motion what he considers to be “his ultimate goal”.
This desire to offer better products goes hand in hand with the decline of the “snacking” Sushi market in France. Formerly unbeatable on the podium of the French people's favorite snacks, it has just left the Top 10 in 2024. The flagship product of the 2000s and 2010s is facing increasing competition and is suffering from rising prices. It is towards a more premium and high-end formula that the small Japanese dish could find its colors, and would see its clientele evolve. A clientele even more eager for ramen, soups or sandos, widely popularized by animes and mangas, whose heroes are crazy about.